You're supposed to be overcoming.

"...Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”


- Luke 8:24b-25


Many of you wrote back to me after reading last week's newsletter saying you were either on the flow path or the disobedient path (or somewhere in between), so I wanted to discuss these two paths a little bit further this week using two characters we all know from scripture: Jesus & Jonah. 

Both of these men faced a legit storm while sailing in a boat at some point in their journeys. The difference was where the storm came from & why. 

In Jonah's case, he was intentionally disobeying an order from God, literally sailing in the opposite direction of where God wanted him to go, running from the thing God wanted him to do (sound familiar?). So, as the Bible says, God went ahead and sent him a nice little storm to help get his attention like nah bruh, that's not what we doin (Jonah 1:4). Then He used a fish to protect him from drowning (because He saves us from our own mess, even when we're disobedient 1. because He loves us as a Father loves His children and 2. He still needed Jonah to complete the original assignment).

You see how our disobedience can put God in the position to have to rescue us and then get us back on track? 

Now contrast that example with Jesus' storm situation. First of all we KNOW He was walking in the flow. He IS the flow lol! But yet and still, here comes this storm. Let me ask you something though, where did it come from? Did God send it? May I submit to you that I don't believe He did and here's why: 

Jesus was on His way to save a demon-possessed man who was terrorizing an entire country (Luke 8:26-39).

I'll give you one guess as to who didn't want that to happen. That's right, the one who the Bible calls "the prince of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). That storm was direct, spiritual opposition against Jesus' mission to heal that man because the devil controlled that whole country through that man and he was NOT trying to lose that influence. Ain't that deep?!

So the "struggle" that Jesus faced here wasn't something He was supposed to put up with or accept. Jesus knew He was on mission, walking in full obedience of what His Father told Him to do and this storm was coming against that. So how did He handle it? He put that thang in its place! And in doing so He showed us an example of how we're supposed to respond to storms that are trying to derail our purpose. That's why I will continue to reiterate that:

If you're in obedience and on mission, you're not supposed to be struggling; you're supposed to be overcoming. 

Jesus told us that we'd have tribulation in this world (John 16:33). It's a universal fact that just is what it is. But in that same verse of scripture He also said basically, be of good cheer tho cuz I've overcome it. You good!

Wherever you are on the path of purpose right now, I want to encourage you that God is on your side and committed to seeing you through whatever you're facing (even if you brought it on yourself!). If you're in disobedience right now I pray that God gives you the strength to trust Him & do what He's telling you to do. But if you're in the flow, I pray that God helps you rise up and overcome any opposition that's trying to stop you. 


Still hungry? Eat more //
If you're struggling in disobedience, go back and study the scriptures featured in our January newsletter series on obedience.

Scriptures if you're in the flow:

  • John 14:12 → Jesus was consistently overcoming struggles, opposition & whatever came His way. Through God, He even overcame death itself! (Mark 16:6, Romans 8:11, 2 Timothy 1:10). This is the example He set for us and, as He said Himself, greater works will we do. Our lives should ultimately demonstrate the same consistent overcoming, power & strength that His did. 

  • Acts 27:13-44 → The apostle Paul faced a storm too because of other people's disobedience but he still ended up overcoming it.

  • 2 Corinthians 2:14 → This same Paul spoke from experience when He wrote this scripture. In the midst of all his struggles, God always came through with the W. 

  • Romans 8:28 → I love how in our story this week, the devil tried to stop Jesus and not only did that not work but God used the whole thing as an opportunity to demonstrate His glory through His Son and help the disciples believe on Him more. He works EVERYTHING out for our good. 

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